As lawmakers in various provinces continue to explore the option of regulating online gambling, Canadian residents are also showing their support of the idea. According to a recent study, it seems as though Canadians are hopeful that online gambling will be legalized.
The study, conducted by Ipsos Reid, states that both Americans and Canadians are unaware of the legal status of online gambling in both countries. Over three years, the number of Americans who admitted to knowing online gambling’s illegal status dropped from 41% to 37%, while Canadians from from 28% to 23%.
While it seems as though the government does little to enforce the laws, these statistics can also be attributed to online gambling’s popularity. The activity has become so widespread that many Canadian residents are simply unaware that such a common hobby would be prohibited by the government.
So, it was no surprise when over half of the survey’s responds voiced their support of regulated online gambling. 49% of Americans and 55% of Canadians stated that they would support online gambling, as long as the government stepped in to regulate the industry.
This statistics show increased support of the idea, when compared with results from three years ago. In 2007, 46% of Americans and 48% of Canadians believed that online gambling should be legalized and regulated.
When asked who they believe should take on that responsibility, 67% of Canadians and 55% of Americans stated that federal governments should regulate online gambling, while 33% of Canadians said it should be regulated on a provincial level.
